


the frog heroine

by displayheartcode



Series: Warmth of the Sun [46]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - The Frog Prince Fusion, Animal Transformation, F/M, Female Harry Potter, I Don't Even Know, Male Ginny Weasley, Not Beta Read, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27182143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/displayheartcode/pseuds/displayheartcode
Summary: A black-and-green speckled frog made a ribbit sound.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Series: Warmth of the Sun [46]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/115171
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	the frog heroine

**Author's Note:**

> well...
> 
> time to turn my focus back to the cinderella au where hagrid is the fairy godmother

There was a shower of green-gold sparks and the frog was replaced by a black-haired woman in a green dress. She looked at Gideon Weasley, squinting nearsightedly before she ran her hands up her arms and flexed her brown fingers. Around the grass were what suddenly appeared to be her remains – a pair of bent glasses, a silvery cloak half-spilled out of a bag, several glass vials, and a roll of parchment.

“Oh,” she gasped. “Finally, human again!” She put her glasses on and blinked.

“Has anyone told you that your eyes are green like a fresh-pickled toad?” Gideon said a moment later. _A talking frog_ , his mind said. _No, a talking girl_ , his mind corrected, struggling to keep up. Magic was hardly uncommon in his family, but a transformation like this was something out of bedtime stories with cursed princesses and clever wizards. It was almost unreal.

 _Kiss the frog,_ his niece had demanded earlier, holding the black-and-green speckled thing to his face.

And he had, out of amusement after finding her in the basket that was meant to be full of fresh-picked apples.

“Has anyone told you to be careful of kissing strange frogs?” She placed her hand on her hips, and despite the height difference between them, leveled him with an impressive stare. It was much like the look her frog-self had given him that morning when Gideon had tried to feed her breakfast.

Trapped flies from his kind-hearted niece? No. But as a frog, she had no problem in helping herself with last night’s leftover treacle.

Her expression softened. She tucked some of her black hair behind her ear, revealing a strange scar on her forehead. Her head came up to his chest, her shoulder-length hair untamed, strong features, and brilliant green eyes behind crooked glasses, a shade or two different from the wrinkled dress she wore. “Still, you kissed a frog. Seventh son?”

Nodding, Gideon flushed. He was thankful they were alone in the apple orchard and far away from his home that was full of nosey older sisters and their children. He knew the stories but there had been proof until now about him having any uncommon abilities.

The former-frog gathered her belongings and attempted to readjust the layers of her dress. “If you ever go on a quest,” she advised, “Stay away from a witch named Umbridge.” She shouldered her bag. “Thanks, erm, for breaking the curse on me. I’m Halley, by the way. Halley Potter.”

The name was almost familiar. Gideon tried to remember the details from the letter his sister Rory had sent, something about strange events at the Castle, a series of misadventures, and heroic deeds.

Halley looked around the orchard. She tightened her grip on her bag and frowned. “Now where am I?"

“Ottery St. Catchpole.”

She groaned.

Gideon touched his bottom lip. “How long were you a frog?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “My sources told me Umbridge had important information, and then I remember hopping…the hot sun and the long road…your niece picking me up…” She shook her head, her shoulders set in an urgent posture. “I need to get back to Hogwarts Castle.”

_**-** _

Halley had few memories of being a frog. There had been intrusive thoughts of wanting to jump into the nearest river, to eat flies, and sleep under a sunbeam, but her hatred of Umbridge had been enough to keep her humanity anchored. Her clearest memory after the curse was waking up in an apple orchard, the magic sizzling over her skin like embers from a fire.

“The Castle is weeks away, a little less than a month,” Gideon told her. He kept up with her quick pace with his long legs, redirecting them in the path to his home. “You’re going to need a horse and supplies.”

“I know how a quest works.” But Halley knew what she needed most of all was a sword. Her heart ached for the silver blade with a ruby-studded hilt, the balanced weight of it in her hands. She was hardly a knight errant, but her role as a hero to the realm meant a similar set of responsibilities, even if her sword was nowhere to be found.

 _One problem at a time,_ she told herself. The kingdom in danger. Rumors of assassins wanting to kill Prince Cedric, and the possible return of a long-dead Dark Lord…

Halley touched the scar on her forehead.

“I have a sister who is a knight there,” Gideon said. “She’s tall, red-haired—”

Halley instantly recalled the knight who often argued with the bushy-haired court wizard. Where Hector was with a readied spell, Rory was always there by his side with her sword. They made a terrifyingly competent team whenever they worked together, Hector’s knowledge of magic and Rory’s stubbornness.

She fully expected a wedding invitation from them in the future.

Halley cracked her knuckles, taking the time to study how this man looked through the eyes of a human. He was rather tall with strong shoulders and freckled hands, the spring sunlight casting a soft glow over his red hair. He carried a basket full of red apples over one shoulder, and she guiltily sneaked a peek at how his back muscles moved from underneath his shirt.

A simple kiss on the forehead from him had broken the curse.

A shiver went down her spine.

 _I bet if he kissed you again_ , whispered a voice in the back of her mind _, you won’t turn back into a frog._

They stopped at the edge of the orchard. Halley could make out the outline of a house that looked as though the only thing keeping it together was magic. It looked nothing like the imposing stone walls of the Castle or the quiet misery of where she had grown up in her aunt and uncle’s care. It was somewhat crooked and appeared heavily lopsided with the several chimneys that jutted from the tall red roof. It was so warm and inviting in a way that made her immediately homesick in a way she never knew was possible.

More importantly, there were several horses on the front lawn.

“Do you want to help me save the kingdom from certain doom?” Halley asked.

**Author's Note:**

> after  
> \- they go on a quest together  
> \- oh no only one bed at the tavern  
> \- heroism and stuff at the castle  
> \- fancy ball where they get to makeout


End file.
